Sewing machine



Aug. 13, 1957 w. A. AYRES 2,802,710

SEWING MACHINE K Filed Sept. 16, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 f l "7 '6,'TL-mwen.

' /`|LDEMAR A. AYRES HG2 )SYM-7 ATTORNEYS Aug. 13, 1957 w. A. AYRES2,802,710 I SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 16, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug.13, 1957 w. A. AYRl-:s 2,802,710

SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 16, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 m INVENTOR. v ,nwALDEMAR A. AYRES BVM@ AT TOR NE YS United States Patent SEWING MACHINEApplication September 16, 1955, Serial No. 534,746

97Claims. (Cl. 312 30) This invention relates to a sewing machine andmore particularly to a novel construction of a sewing machine cabinet incombination with a hinged supporting means or carrier for a sewingmachine head enabling said head to be used as a drophead sewing machineor as a portable sewing machine.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved and novel sewingmachine cabinet construction including a swingable carrier for thesewing machine head whereby the sewing machine head can be used as adrophead sewing machine or as a portable sewing machine and whichconstruction is eicient, simple and enables the sewing machine head tobereadily and properly positioned in and secured to the carrier for use asa drophead sewing machine or to be detached therefrom for use as aportable machine.

A further object is to provide a construction as referred to in theabove mentioned object and which includes provision for preventing thelowering of the swingable carrier when the sewing machine head ispositioned therein but is not properly secured or anchored thereto.

Further and additional objects and advantages not hereinbefore specifiedwill become apparent hereinafter during the detailed description of anembodiment of the invention which follows and which embodiment isillustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification and wherein Fig. l is a front elevational View of a sewingmachine head and the base therefor and a fragmentary sectional view ofthe cabinet with the swingable or hinged carrier for the sewing machinehead illustrated in section, said view being taken substantially onirregular line 1 1 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. i

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. llooking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. llooking in the direction of the arrows with the sewing machine head andthe swingable carrier shown in sewing position in full lines in endelevation and in two non-sewing positions one of which is in brokenlines in a fully lowered position within the cabinet and the other in araised position outwardly of the cabinet.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view taken substantially on line 4 4 ofFig. l looking in the direction of the arrows. Y

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the lswingable or hingedcarrier.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 6 6of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view taken looking at the right hand end ofFig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a detached view partly in elevation, and partly in section ofthe knee control rod by which the operator can regulate the motor speedcontroller of the sewingmachine.

VThe cabinet of the constructionembodying the invention is providedwithan interior Well or compartment ice as is usual in sewing machinecabinets of the drophead type and into which well or compartment thesewing machine head can be lowered when not in use as will be readilyunderstood in the art.

The sewing machine cabinet includes a top horizontal panel 15 providedwith an opening that is partially iilled by a narrow top strip panel 16located at the front side of the opening and of the sewing machine headand connected to the top panel 15 Iby suitable hinges 17 as will be wellunderstood in the art. the opening in the top panel 15 is adapted to beclosed by the bed plate of the base of the sewing machine head when thesewing machine head is in raised sewing position, at which time the bedplate of the base will be hushed with the top surface of the panel v15and the strip panel 16.

When the sewing machine head is lowered into the well in the cabinet orwhen the head has been detached from the swingable carrier for use as aportable sewing machine, then a cover panel (not shown) hinged to anextremity of the top panel 15 lcan be turned down upon the top panel 15and the strip panel 16 to close the opening as will be well understoodin the art.

The cabinet also includes at the opposite ends of the well in thecabinet and beneath the top panel 15 vertical end panels 18 and 19. Inaddition, the cabinet is provided at the rear side of the well and belowthe top panel 15 with a vertically extending rear panel or wall 20.

The end panels 18 and 19 have secured to their inner surfaces andadjacent their top edges angle brackets 21, the horizontal arms of whichform a support for the strip panel 16 when the latter is in loweredposition, see Fig. 3, wherein the angle bracket 21 secured to the endywall 19 is shown. Y

The inner or free longitudinal edge of the strip panel 16 is undercut asindicated at 22 at longitudinally spaced locations and said panel 16 hasplates 23 secured to its underside and extending across said undercuts22 for a purpose later to be explained.

The carrier for the sewingmachine head will now be described withparticular attention initially directed to Fig. 5 wherein said carrieris shown in detached perspective. The carrier comprises a flat orplanular rectangu lar metal supporting plate 24 having at its oppositelongitudinal edges downwardly directed-flanges 25. Latch plates 26 and27 are slidable on the underside of the supporting plate 24 intermediatethe ilanges 25 and extend outwardly of the opposite ends of the plate24. The supporting plate 24 is provided with rivets or other suit ablesecuring members 28 which extend through longitudinally elongated slots29 formed in the latch plates 26 and 27 tov hold said plates in slidableengagement with the under surface of the plate 24. The latch plates 26and 27 are reduced in width at their inner ends and are provided withnarrow rack extensions 30 having rack teeth on their inner or adjacentedges which mesh with a gear 31 rotatable on a stud 32 carried lby thesupporting plate 24 and by the downwardly offset intermediate portion ofa bracket plate 33, the opposite ends of which bracket plate are securedto the underside of the supporting plate 24. The downwardly offsetportion of the bracket plate 33 and the underside of the supportingplate 24 form a supporting guide for the rack portions or extensions 30of the latch plates 26 and 27.

It will be seen that movement imparted to one latch plate will cause,through the rack portions 30 and gear 31, corresponding and equalizedmovement of the other latch plate in the opposite direction, that issaid latch plates will move in unison toward and away from each otherlongitudinally of the supporting plate 24.

In order to move the latch plates the plate 27 is shown The remainderofv as provided on its edge at the rear of the carrier with a lateralextension 34 which is upturned at its end as indicated at 35 and theupturned portion 35 is provided at its upper end with a latch actuatinghandle portion 36. The latch plates 2o and 27 are provided at theirouter ends with transversely spaced upwardly and inwardly extendingretaining angles 37, 3S and 39, the purpose of which will later becomeapparent. The supporting plate 24 at its opposite ends is provided withupwardly extending guide arms 40, two such arms at each end beingillustrated and extending between the retaining angles 37 and 38 and 39and 33.

Metal straps 41 spaced longitudinally of the supporting plate 24 andextending transversely thereof are secured to the upper side of theplate 24 and are provided at their outer ends with vertically extendingportions 41a and 411). The portions 41a are provided near their upperends with openings 42 through which extend hinge elements later to bereferred to.

A reinforcing bar 43 is xed to the upwardly extending part 35 of thelatch actuating handle and is slidably connected to the upwardlyextending portions 41a by means of rivets 44 carried by the portions 41aand extending through elongated slots 44a in the reinforcing bar 43.

The upwardly extending portions 41h are provided at their upper endswith outturned substantially horizontal anges 41e adapted to cooperatewith the plates 23 carried by the strip panel 16 as will later bepointed out.

The top panel 15 of the cabinet at the rear side of the opening thereinis provided with spaced undercut recesses in which are pivotally mountedhinge rods 45, the free ends of which extend through the openings 42 ofthe portions 41a of the straps 41 and are secured therein. The hingerods 45 provide a hinged mounting for the carrier such that the lattercan be swung from the full line position of Fig. 3 downwardly within thewell of the cabinet until the underside of the carrier engages a stopmember 46 secured to the inner side of the rear wall 20. Also thecarrier and the sewing machine head mounted therein can be swungupwardly from the full line position of Fig. 3 to the upper broken lineposition shown therein.

It will be noted that the retaining angles 41C of the strap portions 41bof the carrier engage the retaining plates 23 secured to the undersideof the hinged strip panel 16 when the carrier and sewing machine headare in the full line position of Fig. 3, i. e., in the sewing position.Consequently when it is desired to raise the sewing machine head and thecarrier or to lower the same within the well it is rst necessary toraise the carrier and sewing machine head conjointly with the hingedstrip panel 16 to disengage the retaining angles 41C from the retainingplates 23 and then raise the strip panel 16 to the broken line positionof Fig. 3, after which the sewing machine head and carrier can belowered into the well of the cabinet.

It will also be understood that when it is desired to raise the carrierand sewing machine head to the full line or sewing position of Fig. 3from the lowermost broken line position thereof, the same are swungupwardly through the well to the tilted broken line position of Fig. 3while the panel 16 is simultaneously raised, after which the panel andthe carrier with the head therein are simultaneously lowered until theflanges 41e engage with the plates 23, the cutouts 22 in the undersideof the panel 16 providing for this engagement. After the flanges 41Chave engaged the plates 23, then further lowering of the carrier towardthe full line position also swings the panel 16 downwardly to theposition wherein its outer surface and the upper surface of the bed ofthe sewing machine head will be Hush with the outer or upper surface ofthe panel 15.

It will be noted that when the latch plates 26 and 27 are in theiroutermost position as shown in full lines in Fig. 5 and in broken linesin Fig. 1, that is, are in the position they would occupy when theportions 37, 38 and 39 thereof are out of engagement with the base ofthe sewing machine head, the carrier cannot then be lowered into thewell of the cabinet inasmuch as the outer ends of the latch members 26and 27 are bearing upon angle bars 47 secured to the inner sides of theside walls l18 and 19 of the cabinet as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Animportant safety feature is thus provided which prevents the sewingmachine head and carrier being lowered into the cabinet unless thesewing machine head is -fully latched or clamped to the carrier. It willbe understood that otherwise if the carrier and head were loweredagainst the stop 46 the sewing machine head would be free to topple outof the carrier.

The sewing machine head is indicated at 48 and may take various forms`since its construction per se constitutes no part of the presentinvention. The head 48 should be provi-ded on the upper side of thehorizontally extending arm of the head with a suitable handle forraising and lowering the head and for carrying the same when the head isused as a portable sewing machine.

In Fig. l a handle 49 is indicated and this handle is hinged so as to beswung upwardly to a vertical operative position or downwardly to anon-operative position wherein it may merge into the exteriorconfiguration of the head.

The base of the sewing machine head includes a bed plate 50 from whichthe vertical portion of the head 48 extends upwardly and said bed plate50 in conjunction with strip panel 16 lls the opening in the top panel15 of the cabinet when the sewing machine is in operative or sewingposition. The bed plate 50 is provided with an opening therein beneaththe reciprocating needle bar 51 and said opening is closed by aremovable needle plate 52 provided with an opening for the needle andopenings for the feed dogs as. indicated at 53 in Fig. 4.

The needle plate 52 may be of any preferred construction as, forinstance, the construction shown in my copending application Serial No.482,700, led January 19, 1955. The base further includes a hollowhousing S4 lbeneath the bed plate 50 and in which housing is mounted thesewing mechanism that is operatively connected to the sewing mechanismin the head 48 and operates in timed relation thereto as will be wellunderstood in the art. The base 50 is extended outwardly of theperiphery of the housing 54 and said housing at its lower end isprovided peripherally with an outwardly extending flange 55, whereforethe periphery of thel base is substantially U-shaped in cross section asclearly indicated in Fig. 1.

Access to the interior of the housing 54 of the base is provided fromthe underside thereof for purposes of assembling and adjusting thesewing mechanism contained within the base. The lower side of the baseis closed by a closure plate 56 secured to the flange 55 by suitablemeans such as screws and provided at its opposite ends with U-shapedportions which embrace the flange 55 at the opposite ends of the sewingmachine head.

The periphery of the housing 54 intermediate the bed plate 50 and theflange 55 provides a convenient storage space for the electric cord 57for the sewing machine and which cord can be wrapped around the housing54 when the machine is not in use or is being transported as a portablesewing machine. The housing 54 may be provided with a retaining element58 for holding the plug 59 of the electric cord in position when thecord has been wrapped around the housing. Also the knee-operated controllever for the motor speed controller indicated at 60 can conveniently bestored between the bed plate 50 and the flange 55 as indicated in Fig.l, being held in stored position by suitable spring holding elements 61and 62.

The lever 60 can be operatively connected to thc shaft 63 that extendsto the motor speed controller of the sewing machine by a slotted clutchportion 64 .on the angled end of the lever and which receives the' toothof the clutch portion 65 on the end of the shaft 63. 'Ihe clutchportions 64 and 65 can be held in clutched relationship by an interiorlythreaded sleeve 66 rotatable on the lever 60 and screwing upon theexternal threads of the clutch portion 65. Y.

When it is desired to'employ the sewing machines as a drophead sewingmachine the carrier is positioned in the full line showing of Figs. 1and 3 and the latch actuating handle portion 36 of the carrier is moved'in a direction to cause simultaneous equalized outward movement of thelatch plates 26 and 27 so that the clamping portions 37, 38, andl 39thereof will be located in their outermost position and will beoverlying the stop angle bars 47 as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. Thebase of the sewing machine head can then be-loweredvinto position uponthe carrier being guided, in its downward movement by the upwardlyextending guide strips 40 of the carrier and by the portions 41a and 41bthereof.v When the base of the sewing machine head is firmly seated inthe carrier the latch actuating handle portion 36 is moved in theopposite direction to cause equalized simultaneous inward movement ofthe latch plates 26 and 27 until the portions 37, 38 and 39 thereofoverlie the flange 55 of the base of the sewing machine as clearlyindicated in full lines in Fig. 1. The base of the sewing machine headthus is firmly clamped to the carrier and the latter can be lowered intothe well of the cabinet with the sewing machine head moving as a unittherewith.

In order to lower the carrier and the sewing machine head from the fullline position of Fig. 3 downwardly into the well of the cabinet to thelowermost broken line position the sewing machine head and the strippanel 16 of the cabinet are simultaneously raised to the raised brokenline position of Fig. 3 to disengage the {langes 41C of the portions 41bof the carrier fromk the plates 23 carried by the strip panel 16. Thenthe sewing mal chine head and the carrier are lowered together into thewell of the cabinet until the bottom of the carrier engages the stopstrip 46 secured to the rear wall 20 of the cabinet as indicated in thelowermost broken line showing of the carrier and sewing machine head inFig. 3.

It will be noted that should the operator inadvertently forget to movethe latch plates 26 and 27 to position the clamping portions 37, 38 and39 over .the flange 55 of the base of the sewing machine head, thecarrier and sewing machine head cannot be lowered into -the well of thecabinet inasmuch as the latch plates 26' and 27 will be vbearing uponthe stop bars 47 as clearly shown in the broken line position of thelatch plates in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to move the carrier and the sewing machine head fromits lowered or drop position in the well of the cabinet to its raisedsewing position the operator raises the panel strip 16 to the brokenline position of Fig. l 'and then raises the sewing machine head andcarrier from the lowermost broken line position shown in Fig. 3 to theuppermost broken line position, after which the carrier and sewingmachine head as a unit are lowered simultaneously with the lowering ofthe panel strip 16 to engage the anges 411.` with the plates 23,'whenthe bed plate 50 of the base ofthe sewing machine head is ush with thetop surface of the topv panel 15 of the cabinet. When it is desired toremove the sewing machine head from the carrier and utilize the sewingmachine as a portable machine the latch plates 26 and 27 are moved bythe operator utilizing the handle portion 36 to their outermostunclamping position after which the sewing machine head is lifted fromthe cabinet by the handle 49.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustratedand described herein it will be understood thatthe invention issusceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

-1. In combination, a sewing machine cabinet comprising end walls, arear wall, a top panel provided with an opening for the sewing machinehead, a strip panel hinged to the top panel at the front edge of saidopening and adapted to form a planular continuation of the top panelwhen in an operative position and provided at its inner freelongitudinal edge with spaced undercut recesses and having retainingplates secured toits bottom side and extending across said recesses; acarrier in which the base of a sewing machine can be removably clampedand comprising a base supporting plate, means for hingedly connectingsaid carrier to the top panel adjacent the rear longitudinal edge of theopening therein, means on said carrier for engaging said retainingplates to maintain the carrier in raised position, latch plates mountedon said supporting plate for movement toward and away from the oppositeends thereof and provided with portions adapted in one position to clampthe base of a sewing machine head to said supporting plate and inanother position to relase said base for removal of the and comprising abase supporting plate, means for hingedlyy connecting said carrier tothe top panel adjacent the rear longitudinal edge of the openingtherein, latch platesV mounted on said supporting plate for movementtoward and away from the opposite ends thereof and provided withportions adapted in one position to clamp the base of a sewing machinehead to said supporting plate and in another position to release saidbase for removal of, the sewing machine head from said carrier andcabinet, and` means carried by said supporting plate for impartingsimultaneous equalized movements in opposite directions to said latchplates, said end walls of said cabinet inwardly of said opening -in thetop panel thereof being provided with stop members upon which saidportions of said latch plates bear when said latch plates are in theposition to release the base of the sewing machine head from saidcarrier whereby said carrier with a sewing machine head resting thereincannot be lowered into the cabinet when the base of said head is notclamped to the carrier, said cabinet interiorly thereof and said carrierbeing provided with cooperating interengaging but releasable means tomaintain the carrier in raised position.

3. Incombination, a sewing machine cabinet comprising end walls, a rearwall, a top panel provided with an opening for the sewing machine head,a strip panel hinged to the top panel at the front edge of said openingand adapted to form a planular continuation of the top panel when in anoperative position; a carrier in which the base of a sewing machine canbe removably clamped and comprising a base supporting plate, means forhingedly connecteing said carrier to the top panel adjacent thev of asewing machine head onto said supporting plate.

when said base is lowered toward said supporting plate.

5. In combination, a sewing machine cabinet comprising end walls, a rearwall, a top panel provided with an opening for the sewing machine head,a strip panel hinged to the top panel at the front edge of said openingand adapted to form a planular continuation of the top panel when in anoperative position; a carrier in which the base of a sewing machine canbe removably clamped and comprising a base supporting plate, means forhingedly connecting said carrier to the top panel adjacent the rearlongitudinal edge of the opening therein, latch plates mounted on saidsupporting plate for movement toward and away from the opposite endsthereof and provided vwith portions adapted in one position to clamp thebase of :a sewing machine head to said supporting plate and in anotherposition to release said base for removal of the sewing machine headfrom said carrier and cabinet, and means carried by said supportingplate for imparting simultaneous equalized movements in oppositedirections to said latch plates, said latch plates being slidablymounted on the underside of said supporting plate and ,having theirinner ends overlapping and extending parallel to each other, said innerends being provided with rack portions on their adjacent edges, whilesaid means for moving said latch plates simultaneously in oppositedirections with an equalized movement includes a pinion `rotatablysupported on the underside of said supporting .plate and meshing withsaid rack portions, one of said latch plates having a lateral and upwardextension provided with a handle portion located above the plane of theupper surface of the top panel of the cabinet when vSaid carrier is inoperative position to support a sewing machine head in sewing position,said cabinet interiorly thereof and said carrier being provided withcooperating interengaging but releasable means to maintain said carrierin raised position to support a sewing machine head in sewing position.

6. In combination, a sewing machine cabinet comprising end walls, a rearwall, a top panel provided with an opening for the sewing machine head,a strip panel hinged to the top panel at the front edge of said openingand adapted to form a planular continuation of the top panel when in anoperative position and provided at its inner free longitudinal edge withspaced undercut recesses and having retaining plates secured to itsbottom side and extending across said recesses, a carrier in which thebase of a sewing machine can be removably clamped and comprising a basesupporting plate, means for hingedly connecting said carrier to the toppanel adjacent the rear longitudinal edge of the opening therein, meansonsaid carrier for engaging said retaining plates to maintain thecarrier in raised position, latch plates mounted on said supportingplates for movement toward and away from CLL scarto the opposite'endsthereof vand provided with Vportions adapted in onev position toclamp the .b ase of a sewing machine head'V to `saidsupporting plate'andin another position to release said'base for removal of the sewingmachine 'head' fromk said carrierv and cabinet, and means carried bysaid supporting vplate for imparting simultaneous equalized movements inopposite directions to said latch plates', said means for hingedlyconnecting the carrier to the cabinet and said means for engaging saidretaining plates including transversely extending longitudinally spacedstrips secured to said supporting plate and provided at one end withupwardly extending portions adapted to receive hinge bolts and at theother end with upwardly extending portions having at their upper endsiianges projecting laterally of the supportingplate and adapted toengage said retainingl plates.

7. The combination defined'in claim 6 and wherein said cabinet has'ontheinner side of its rear wall and below the top panel a stop memberlimiting downward swinging movement of the carrier within said cabinet.

8. The combination defined in claim 6 and which includes a sewingmachine head having a base provided at its lower end with an 'outwardlyextending peripheral ilange with which said portions of said latchplates engage when sa'id latch plates are in position to clamp the baseto said supportingplate 9. ln combination, a sewing machine cabinetcomprising end walls, ka rear wall, a top panel provided with an openingfor the sewing machine head, a strip panel hinged to the top panel atthe front edge of said opening and adapted to form a planularcontinuation of the top panel when in an operative position; a carrierin which the base of a. sewing machine can be removably clamped andcomprising a base supporting plate, means for hingedly connecting saidcarrier to the top panel adjacent the rear longitudinal edge of theopening therein, latch plates mounted on said supporting plate formovement toward and away from the ,opposite ends thereof and providedwith portions adapted in one position to clamp the baseA of a sewingmachine head to said supporting plate and in another position to releasesaid base for removal of the sewing machine head from said carrier andcabinet, and means carried by said supporting plate for impartingsimultaneous equalized movement in opposite directions to said latchplates; a sewing machine head having a base provided at its upper endwith a bed plate which projects peripherally outwardly of the base andIills the opening in the top panel of the cabinet when the sewingmachine is in sewing position and provided at its lower end with aperipheral outwardly extending flange adapted to be engaged by saidportions of said latch plates to clamp the base to said supportingplate, the periphery of said base being substantially U-shaped in crosssection whereby an electric cord may be wrapped around said base whenthe sewing machine is not in use, said cabinet interiorly thereof andsaid carrier being provided with cooperatinginterengaging but releasablemeans to maintain said carrier in raised position.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS419,903 Wilkins Jan. 21, 1890 2,230,444 Balster Feb. l, 1941 2,247,380Hohmann July 1, 1941 2,575,045 Chason Nov. 13, 1951

